A primer cartridge magazine for a wedge-type breech block is known and is, for example, described in co-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,041. In order to fill such a primer cartridge magazine, which is in the shape of a shaft, with primer cartridges, it is necessary, to preload a spring 38. This requirement is met by either a pull rod projecting upwardly outside the ignition cartridge magazine 34, which pull rod serves simultaneously as an indicator, and which is firmly connected with the movable guide piece for the spring 38, or by means of a pressure rod which can be inserted from below through the bottom of a housing which can also be removed from below.
It has, however, been ascertained in practice that the pretensioning or pre-loading method by way of pull or pressure rods is very complicated, because only one hand of the person servicing the weapon is available for the post-loading, whereas the other hand is required to maintain the spring by means of the pull rod in a compressed position. While the pull rod has the advantage that, with its aid the stock condition of the available ignition cartridges in the magazine can be indicated, nevertheless the common indication method, for example, by means of colors, is insufficient to indicate the precise stock condition. A precise indication for a predetermined number of cartridges to be inserted is not possible with this state of the art arrangement. This state of the art arrangement has been found to be particularly disadvantageous with a filled ignition cartridge magazine having a pull rod which projects upwardly to an extent which is almost equal to the length of the magazine, because a correspondingly large free space, for example, between the roof of the turret or tower of an armored vehicle and the top of the wedge-type breech gun must be present, whereby, for example, the height of the armored vehicle is negatively influenced.